Wintry showers will continue late into the week, says Met Éireann

Olivia Kelleher

Met Éireann forecasts that our bitterly cold spell will continue for the next few days with plunging temperatures, a sharp frost and freezing fog expected nationwide, and wintry showers in some parts of the country.

The lowest temperature on Sunday night was -7.2 degrees Celsius recorded in Athenry, with general figures in the country ranging from -1 to -5 degrees Celsius.

Meteorologist and Senior Forecaster Gerry Murphy of Met Éireann told Morning Ireland, on RTÉ Radio 1, that the widespread frost will cause icy patches on the roads nationwide on Monday.

"The major roads especially have been well gritted but on secondary roads great care is needed. There is a widespread fog and the fog is quite dense this morning over much of the country.

"On top of that, in the north-west of the country, counties Donegal and Mayo and parts of Galway in particular west Galway, they have had some falls of wintry showers. Some rain near the coast and falling as sleet and snow inland."

Temperatures might only get as high as 4 degrees on Monday. Mr Murphy said no significant thaw is predicted.

"The places that will get the 4 degrees will be along the coast. So for much of the country, temperatures will stay down at around 0 or 1 degrees. That is how it is going to continue for much of the week. It is a very cold week in store.

"In some parts of the midlands where there haven't been any wintry showers and the fog clears it is cool, bright and crisp. But really temperatures down close to 0 and very severe frost at night with fog on many of the nights and then of course those wintry showers encroaching in to some places as well."

Mr Murphy said the wintry showers are a "mix of rain, sleet and snow."

Snow on higher ground

"[The wintry showers] are more likely to fall as snow at night or on higher ground. In terms of a widespread snow — no, we are not going to get that.

"What we are going to get are showers pushing in from wherever direction the wind is blowing off the sea.

"Currently today that is going to be still a few in Donegal but more likely in Galway and Mayo.

"As we go in to the evening tonight and tomorrow it will be the east coast and parts of the south coast that will get some of those [wintry] showers.

Mr Murphy added that it is not unusual for Ireland to have cold spells.

A Status Yellow Snow/Ice warning for Donegal, Mayo remains in place until noon today. It will remain very cold on Monday night, especially towards the north of the country.

Lowest temperatures generally ranging from -6 to 0 degrees. Generally dry with just isolated wintry showers in some coastal areas. A widespread sharp to severe frost and icy conditions will set in with further patches of freezing fog developing. Light to moderate easterly breezes.

Meanwhile, Brian Farrell, Communications Manager with the Road Safety Authority, has urged motorists, pedestrians and cyclists to exercise caution in the coming days.

Mr Farrell told Morning Ireland that black ice will be an issue on rural roads which may be untreated.

He said he was particularly concerned about freezing fog because it makes for really challenging conditions.